The two-factor model provides a framework for understanding the complex and sometimes

contradictory relationships between perfectionism and psychological adjustment or

maladjustment. Following Frost et al. (1993), who identified one dimension as "positive" and
another as "maladaptive," researchers began using evaluative labels such as adaptive versus
maladaptive, healthy versus unhealthy, positive versus negative, or functional versus
dysfunctional perfectionism. Currently, these dimensions are commonly referred to as
Perfectionistic Strivings and Perfectionistic Concerns (Stoeber & Otto, 2006) or Personal
Standards Perfectionism and Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism (Dunkley et al., 2000). The
distinction between Perfectionistic Strivings and Perfectionistic Concerns is key to understanding
multidimensional perfectionism. Perfectionistic Concerns are consistently linked to traits,
processes, and outcomes associated with psychological maladjustment, such as neuroticism,
avoidant coping, and negative affect. Conversely, Perfectionistic Strivings are often associated
with traits, processes, and outcomes indicative of psychological adjustment.

Hewitt, Flett, and colleagues (Hewitt & Flett, 1991; Hewitt et al., 2003, 2008) characterized
perfectionism as a maladaptive personality trait with three core components, encompassing both
personal and interpersonal dimensions (Hewitt & Flett, 2008). The first component includes
three trait dimensions: self-oriented perfectionism (demanding perfection from oneself), other-
oriented perfectionism (expecting perfection from others), and socially-prescribed perfectionism
(perceiving that others demand perfection from oneself). Beyond these traits, Hewitt et al. (2003)
identified perfectionistic self-presentation, a distinct interpersonal need to appear perfect to
others, linked to various psychopathological and clinical issues. This second component involves
managing how perfection is perceived, with three facets: perfectionistic self-promotion (actively
portraying oneself as perfect), non-display of imperfection (concealing visible flaws), and
nondisclosure of imperfection (avoiding verbal admission of imperfections). The third
component of their model encompasses cognitive processes, such as ruminative thoughts about
the necessity of being perfect, reflecting the internal mental patterns associated with
perfectionism.

The Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (SDM; Hewitt et al., 2006) posits that
perfectionism fosters interpersonal dysfunction, leading to perceived social disconnection. It
suggests that perfectionism triggers interpersonal issues, such as heightened sensitivity and
hostility, resulting in alienation, social disconnection, or a sense of not belonging (Hewitt et al.,
2006). The model recognizes both objective disconnection (e.g., damaged relationships) and
subjective disconnection (e.g., feelings of isolation). It provides a framework to understand how
perfectionism contributes to psychopathology through negative social behaviors (e.g., conflict in
interactions), maladaptive cognitions (e.g., believing others are disappointed), and adverse
outcomes (e.g., relationship breakdowns). Habke and Flynn (2002) note that individuals with
high perfectionist concerns drive social separation through neediness, over-reliance on others,
and angry or rejecting behaviors, especially in response to perceived failure or criticism (Holm-
Denoma et al., 2008). The Revised Social Disconnection Model (RSDM; Sherry et al., 2016)
expands on the original SDM by including perfectionist strivings and other-oriented
perfectionism as additional contributors. In the RSDM, perfectionist strivings are linked to
avoiding close relationships, while other-oriented perfectionism leads to difficulties within
relationships. The RSDM distinguishes between personality-dependent interpersonal problems,
where perfectionists’ rigid demands or behaviors cause conflict and mediate the link between
perfectionism, social disconnection, and psychological distress, and personality-independent
problems, such as external events like a loved one’s illness, which act as moderators influencing
when perfectionists face interpersonal challenges. By integrating these elements, the RSDM
offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how perfectionism drives social
disconnection and psychopathology.

The Perfectionism Cognition Theory (PCT), proposed by Flett et al. (2015), posits that
perfectionism is linked to rapid, frequent, and persistent rumination, with perfectionists
experiencing diverse, recurrent thoughts and unique forms of cognitive perseveration, including
excessive overthinking specific to perfectionism. This cognitive hyperactivation results in an
overdeveloped memory for mistakes, failures, and stressful experiences that underscore personal
inadequacy. PCT comprises four levels: the structural level, involving deep cognitive structures
like core self-schemas, long-term memories, and associated cognitive networks formed through
intensive processing; the propositional level, encompassing beliefs, dysfunctional attitudes, and
irrational assumptions stored in cognitive structures, interacting with the structural level and
reflecting a person’s sense of self and identity; the operational level, which includes active
cognitive processes like encoding and retrieval deficits; and the cognitive products level,
consisting of outputs such as automatic thoughts, self-statements, ruminative thoughts, and
images, often linked to poor cognitive control, including daydreams and mind-wandering
characteristic of perfectionists.

Self-compassion, as defined by Neff (2003), involves a warm, caring attitude toward oneself,
embracing personal shortcomings as part of the human experience. It comprises three core
elements: self-kindness, which entails accepting one’s thoughts and emotions with warmth;
common humanity, which recognizes personal flaws and struggles as shared human experiences,
fostering connection rather than isolation; and mindfulness, which promotes acceptance of the
present moment (Neff, 2003; Neff et al., 2007). Theoretically, self-compassion’s emphasis on
self-kindness and acceptance mitigates the negative effects of perfectionism by promoting
healthier self-relations (Ferrari et al., 2018). Research indicates that self-compassionate
individuals are more likely to practice self-kindness and accept negative emotions (Abdollahi et
al., 2020) while being less prone to harsh self-criticism or concern about others’ criticism
(Ferrari et al., 2018; Neff, 2003). This contrasts with Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism, which
is often marked by self-condemnation, self-judgment, self-resentment, self-invalidation, and
unrealistic self-appraisal (Ferrari et al., 2018).

Rationale : From a traditional view, perfectionism has been widely associated with
psychopathology, issues such as fear of failure, depression (Sunkarapalli& Agarwal, 2017),
anxiety, and maladaptive coping mechanisms and one’s level of PWB (Swathi, 2023). A
high level of Perfectionism is associated with lower levels of psychological well-being and
vice versa. In today’s competitive world, competition in one form or another exists from the
very beginning. In school, students compete to be ranked first in class; young adults and
adults compete to be better than others in their careers or life in general (Sunkarapalli&
Agarwal, 2017). Due to rapid globalization, nowadays individuals are more vulnerable to
comparing themselves with others and thus to the maladaptive perfectionism tendencies.
There is a need to address perfectionism among the emerging young adults to buffer their
Psychologicalwell-being against the negative effects of perfectionism while encouraging
adaptive perfectionism to their optimal growth and development. Research on perfectionism
mostly focused on adolescence and the adult population, especially students. As the stage of
emerging adulthood (18-25) is a phase of exploration, achievement, and self-improvement,
they are likely to experience perfectionist tendencies. Research studies showed that the
metacognitive ability, self-awareness is higher among emerging adults than the adolescents
and by the age of 18, emerging adults do not reach the adult level of psychosocial maturity
(Icenogle et al., 2019; Vukman, 2005). Although research findings indicatethe presence of
perfectionist tendencies among adolescents, due to the underdevelopment of self-awareness
and psychosocial maturity, adolescents might not be able to provide a correct account of
perfectionist tendencies. Moreover, postgraduate students typically engage in deeper self-
reflection and demonstrate greater maturity compared to undergraduates (du Toit & Naudé,
2020). Therefore, this study will target the experience of emerging young adults at the
Graduate level (21-25 years) with perfectionism, self-compassion, and psychosocial well-
being. The subjective account of experience is necessary to gain a comprehensive reflection
on perfectionism that will further help in targeting perfectionism in a therapeutic context.
This study will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and
qualitative methods to examine the relationships among the variables. The first phase will
involve a quantitative survey to identify and explain the patterns of association between the
variables. The second phase will delve deeper into these quantitative findings by exploring
participants’ subjective experiences related to the study variables. Finally, the results from
both phases will be integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay
between perfectionism, self-compassion, and psychological well-being.